Central American Minors Program

If you are a parent with legal status here in the US and you have a child at risk of gang violence back home in El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras, then Canopy may be able to help you apply to bring your child to the US as a refugee. To learn more about this program, please email cam@canopynwa.org or call 417-553-4193. In order for us to best serve you, please have an interpreter call on your behalf if you do not speak English.

About the Central American Minors Program

The Central American Minors (CAM) program was started in December 2014 in order to provide at-risk children with a safe, legal and orderly alternative to the dangerous journey some of them were choosing to come to the United States. Through this program, parents residing in the US legally can apply for their children under the age of 21 to join them here as refugees. Only recognized Resettlement Agencies, such as Canopy, are allowed to file these applications.

In order to apply under the CAM program, the qualifying parent may be any individual who is at least 18 years old and lawfully present in the United States in one of the following categories: Permanent Resident Status, or Temporary Protected Status, or Parolee, or Deferred Action Deferred Enforced Departure, or Withholding of Removal

The Application Process

1. Email cam@canopynwa.org or call 417-553-4193 to determine whether or not you are eligible to apply. In order for us to best serve you, please have an interpreter call on your behalf if you do not speak English.

2. Fill out Canopy’s application form and collect the required documents

3. Make an appointment with a Canopy representative to discuss your case, review your information and submit your application

4. Prove your biological relationships to the family members you are applying for through DNA testing. You will receive instructions by mail for how to do this. You will need to pay for the cost of these tests up front, but will be reimbursed later if ALL tested relationships are proven to be correct.

5. Go in for your USCIS interview. Your child in your home country will be required to interview as well.

6. Approval. If you pass your interview, your child may be granted refugee status if they can establish that they are being persecuted and are in danger. If they receive refugee status, Canopy will be able to provide your family with some assistance once they get here. If they cannot establish that they are being persecuted, then they may be granted parole status, in which case they will still be allowed to come, but they will not be eligible to receive any assistance from us once they are here.